Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. Our Muslim brothers and sisters fast from pre-dawn to sunset, a fast of between 11-16 hours for a period of 29-30 days. Fasting during Ramadan offers a unique opportunity for holistic rejuvenation, both physically and mentally.

Fasting can go beyond just a religious practice to providing great health benefits. Scientific studies have revealed numerous health benefits associated with fasting, including improved metabolic health, weight management, and enhanced immune function. Intermittent fasting pattern observed during Ramadan has been linked to reduced risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and even certain cancers.

The obesity epidemic is a significant challenge to the healthcare system. Obesity plays a role in multiple chronic diseases, including type II diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, liver disease, chronic kidney disease, cancers, and even mental health problems and early ageing.

Numerous initiatives have been implemented worldwide in an attempt to reverse the continuous increase in the average body weight without significant success. Over one-third of the world’s adult population is overweight and at risk for accelerated ageing and early death due to obesity-associated co-morbidities. You’ve probably heard about the benefits of fasting, a diet plan that alternates between abstaining from food and eating on a regular schedule. There is research evidence that fasting can help you manage your weight and prevent or reverse some diseases.

Despite its recent popularity, fasting is a centuries-old practice that is essential to many cultures and religions. Fasting is defined as abstaining from all or some foods or beverages for a predetermined period. There are numerous ways to fast. Generally, most fasts are performed over 24–72 hours. Intermittent fasting, on the other hand, involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting, ranging from a few hours to a few days at a time.

Although the words fasting and dieting are often used interchangeably and are similar, they are about different scenarios. Whilst fasting is restrictive of when you eat; dieting is restrictive of what and when you eat.

When fasting, your body adapts by shifting its energy source from carbohydrates to stored glycogen and then to body fat. Initially, it uses glycogen stores for energy, but as these deplete, it enters a state of ketosis, where body fat is broken down into ketones for fuel. This metabolic switch enables your cells to utilise ketones as an alternative energy source in the absence of glucose, leading to increased ketone levels in the blood.

Fasting can provide great health benefits when done correctly, but it can also be dangerous if done excessively or without sufficient medical care. Fasting can sometimes lead to migraines, fainting, low blood sugar, tiredness, and dizziness. Long periods of fasting, or fasting without regard for specific health concerns, may worsen these dangers.

If you have an underlying medical concern or special nutritional demands, it’s always better to get in contact with a healthcare practitioner before starting a fast. While undoubtedly, your body might feel different adapting to fasting, listening to your body when trying to show or tell you its limits is very important. With proper direction and monitoring, fasting can be safely integrated into a healthy lifestyle.

When it comes to fasting, a lot of emphasis is placed on what we eat (or don’t eat), which makes it easy to forget about another crucial element: staying hydrated. They call it a "water fast” for a reason—you should be drinking plenty of water! Unless you’re fasting for religious reasons (Ramadan for example) that require you not to drink fluids, keep drinking a lot of water and other beneficial fluids. You’ll want to increase fluid intake if you exercise while fasting if you live in a high-temperature environment, or if you’re taking any medications that require extra fluids.

And to our Muslim community, Ramadan Mubarak!

Dr Vincent Mutabazi is an applied epidemiologist.

X: @VkneeM